Our Lily Garden
by LadyPiroska
Summary: While traveling the Yampi Desert, the group stops for a break in a nearby cave. When Jenna and Sheba go in search of a spring to refill their flasks, the two girls find themselves acting friendlier than usual toward one another. This story will contain three chapters spanning across different points in the game.
1. Water Lily

_Well, this is my first fic in seven years, so I'm looking forward to what people think of it! It's been a long time, and I'm hoping that this will lead to many more stories!_

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The sun was beating down on the group of four as they made their way through the Yampi Desert. None of them were appropriately dressed for the trek, so the heat was starting to take its toll on them, both physically and mentally.

"Why," Jenna muttered, slouching more with each passing minute. "_Why _did we have to go through this stupid desert?! Wasn't there some other route we could have taken that didn't involve all this heat?!"

"The bridge to Alhafra is down. This was the only other way," Felix replied. He was barely able to keep himself more level-headed than his sister. He would often lift his hair away from his neck as though to let air pass through. "Don't worry, Jenna. It can't be much further." He wasn't entirely sure if he believed himself.

Though everyone was suffering, the one taking the worst of it was Kraden. Between his old age and his robes, the poor old man was in a far worse state than his younger traveling companions. The other three were starting to worry for his health.

As though their cries were heard, the group spotted a cave opening in the rocks when they turned the next bend. It was Sheba who noticed it first, but just as she started to say something, Kraden was already making his way to the entrance.

"I've never seen a man his age walk so quickly, especially in that state," Jenna commented. "He's got the right idea, though. Let's get some shade, too!" Felix and Sheba agreed with her, so the three followed Kraden into the cave.

It wasn't very large, but it would give them a sufficient enough place to cool down for the time being. The tunnel proceeded for an undetermined distance, but Kraden was already sitting just far enough from the entrance to feel the effects of shelter. He was fanning himself with his hand when Felix leaned against the cave wall and drank from his water flask. It was only for a few seconds before he pulled it away from his lips.

"I'm out," he said, wiping his mouth. "What about the two of you?" Jenna and Sheba shook their heads after drinking from their own flasks. "I don't understand. I thought we had more than this."

"You'd be crazy to think I'm going back out there without any water," Kraden complained.

"I'm sure we'll find an oasis soon," Jenna replied.

"No, no, no. There is no guarantee! What if we're out there for hours and don't find anything?"

"Ugh, okay, stop complaining! Maybe there's a spring a further ways in." Jenna turned on her heels and started down the tunnel.

"Wait, Jenna. Don't go alone," Felix called to her. "Sheba, go with her, will you?"

"Yeah, sure thing," she replied. Felix handed his and Kraden's flasks to her and she went to join Jenna.

"We'll be back soon!" Jenna called back. She waited just long enough for Sheba to catch up so that she was walking alongside her.

The two continued down the tunnel for a little bit. It was starting to feel like they might not find a spring, but they decided to keep going. Though the cave was definitely cooler than it was outside, the two were still fairly warm. They would need water before they could really be cooled down.

"I can't wait until we get out of this desert and get to Alhafra so that I can take a much needed bath," Jenna said.

"Yeah, same here," Sheba stuttered slightly. "I'm going to have to really scrub these clothes, too."

"Ugh, speaking of which." Jenna stopped for a moment and started to untie her vest once she had pulled off her cape. Sheba looked back at her and grew embarrassed once she saw Jenna pulling off the shirt she had underneath the vest.

"W-what are you doing?" She blushed.

"It's just the two of us here, right?"

"H-huh?!"

"I'm saying that since it is just the two of us, I don't have to feel so uncomfortable about taking a few things off to help cool down."

"Oh… right!"

"You should do the same, Sheba! I already feel a bit better." She flicked her ponytail back for a moment. Resting over Jenna's arm was the articles of clothing that she usually wore. What she was still wearing had been hiding underneath. It was a fitted, dark purple shirt made of very light material. The shirt had no sleeves, so Jenna's arms were fully exposed up to her shoulders.

"I think I'll be okay," she finally replied after looking Jenna over out of the corner of her eye. She was trying to hide the face that her face was getting redder by the moment by not facing her directly. "I'm tougher than I look."

"Hahah, I suppose so!" Jenna laughed softly. She continued down the tunnel with Sheba next to her, unaware of the few times that Sheba glanced at her. "You really hold your own in battle. I'm jealous. I wish that my Psynergy was as powerful."

"What do you mean? Your Psynergy is plenty powerful. Besides, if you _are_ lacking anything, you're definitely making up for in physical strength. That's something that I don't really have…"

"You don't have to have physical strength to be useful, though. Not to mention that you help make Felix and I stronger." Jenna smiled. "Regardless, I'm glad that you're in our group. I think it would be boring if it was just Kraden, my brother, and I."

"Th-thanks…" Sheba blushed, again. "This is definitely more interesting than the life I lived in Lalivero." This distracted Sheba a moment as she briefly thought about her home. Her expression grew somber for only a moment before she reminded herself of why she is on this quest.

The two were walking for barely a minute more when they finally came upon a spring. They were relieved to have actually found one. After checking the water for clarity and having a few drinks, Jenna and Sheba started to fill up the flasks. When they finished, they decided to take a moment and sit by the spring, staring at the glittering water. Some light was coming through a few small openings in the ceiling and was reflecting off of the water.

"The reflections are rather pretty," Jenna said. Sheba replied with no more than an agreeing murmur as she continued to watch the lights dancing above.

Jenna reached into the spring and started to rub some of the cool water all around the front and back of her neck. Sheba tried to keep looking at the reflections and not at Jenna.

"You should do this, too," Jenna suggested. "It really helps." Sheba didn't reply, still keeping her gaze fixed on the lights. Jenna giggled to herself.

"What's so funny?" Sheba asked.

"I forgot that you're stronger than you look, so you don't need to cool down~"

"Hey, now you're just making fun of me!"

Jenna giggled again. Sheba turned away, crossing her arms and pouting. This was the perfect opportunity for an increasingly playful Jenna to quickly tap a wet finger on Sheba's neck. She immediately gave out a little yelp, jumping back slightly and holding the spot where she had been touched.

"Jenna! That was really cold!"

"You left yourself wide open!" Jenna laughed.

"You're not going to get away with that!" Sheba dipped both of her hands into the spring and brought them up, overflowing with water. She turned toward Jenna with a fire in her eyes and a mischievous smile.

"I didn't use nearly that much on you!" Jenna said, scrambling to get away.

"Don't care!" Sheba threw the water at Jenna, just barely hitting her on the back. She had lunged forward when she threw it, so she was just a few inches from Jenna now. The two laughed as they lay on the cavern floor.

"Hey, there's still some in this dip in the floor," Sheba said, reaching for the small puddle that had form from the water that missed.

"Oh, no you don't!" Jenna yelled, grabbing Sheba's wrists in an attempt to stop her. The two kept laughing as they struggled, but eventually stopped when they realized how close they were to one another. They stared at each other briefly before Sheba laughed awkwardly.

"This is like something straight out of one of those dumb love stories I've seen in some books."

"Hey, I like some of those!" Jenna whined, a little embarrassed that she had just admitted that.

"Oh, Jenna, my dear." Sheba tried not to laugh as she imitated the style of dialogue she had seen in the stories. "My love for you is as bright as these squiggly reflections."

"Sheba, we mustn't," Jenna played along. "What will everyone think?" The two said nothing as they stifled their laughter. "Hey, wait. Those reflections aren't even that bright! Some love that is!"

Jenna and Sheba couldn't contain it any more. As the two of them laughed, they slowly came to a stop as they stared at one another, realizing they still hadn't moved out of the position from before. They didn't exchange any other words and the two girls started to blush. It felt like ten minutes had passed since they had started being like this when it had only been a few.

"Jenna! Sheba!" a familiar voice called from not too far down the tunnel. The voice had broken the two from their trance. Jenna let go of Sheba and she awkwardly scooted away. Jenna quickly put her other clothes back on and the two grabbed the flasks and stood up. They glanced at each other for just a moment before Felix and Kraden walked in.

"There you two are," Felix said, giving a sigh of relief. "We were really starting to worry when you didn't come back." He looked the two of them over as Kraden walked over to the spring. "Is everything okay? You both looked rather flushed."

"It's nothing!" Jenna stuttered, putting her hands up as if that would reassure her brother.

"What's going on with your hair?"

Jenna realized that she hadn't pulled her ponytail out of her shirt when she put it back on.

"Some things just don't have explanations, you know," she said as she pulled her hair back out.

"What does that mean?"

"Aren't you glad we found this spring?" Sheba interjected. "Now that the flasks are filled and we've all had some time to cool down, we can get going."

Felix gave up and agreed with Sheba. When he and Kraden had their fill of water, the four made their way back to the entrance of the cave. Before they left the spring cavern though, Sheba smiled briefly at Jenna, thinking she was unaware that she was doing so. She was surprised when Jenna looked over at the same moment and returned the smile.


	2. Night Lily

It had been weeks since their journey through the Yampi Desert, though Sheba felt as if it had been so much longer than that. They had just reached the Western Sea after having departed from Lemuria and were currently on their way to the Jupiter Lighthouse. At least while they were in Lemuria, she was too busy with everything happening that she didn't have much time to her own thoughts. She could not stop thinking about that time in the desert cave, when she and Jenna had gone in search of a spring. For days after it happened, she wasn't sure why she kept thinking about it. But as days became weeks, after she had more time to sort out her thoughts, and a few awkward conversations with Kraden, she came to a conclusion. That was, she had strong feelings for Jenna. Sheba never really felt anything like this before, so it was difficult for her to determine it at first. Sure, she's had crushes in the past, but nothing like this. But there was no mistaking it, and with each day that passed, Sheba wondered if it was time to tell Jenna how she felt. She wanted to, desperately, as it might be the only thing that would get her to act like herself again.

The ship swayed a bit harder than it had been most of the day. Sheba started to feel nauseous, so she turned to her side in hopes that it might make her feel better. It was very late in the afternoon, as she could tell by the dwindling amount of light that was coming in through the viewing window. She could scarcely believe it was almost night, as it felt like morning wasn't even that long ago. Thinking about the time of day only helped distract her for a moment, but then she was back to thinking about her usual thoughts. Sheba tightened her eyes shut and slowly chanted to herself to not think about it. Doing this continuously for a minute or two certainly did help, but it also made her drowsy. There was nothing else for her to do, so she did not fight it. A few more minutes of chanting and she was asleep.

"Sheba?" a voice called. She didn't respond to it, wanting to remain in her dream state. "Are you okay? Sheba?"

Hands were placed on her shoulders. This sensation started to tear her from her sleep. Sheba's eyes fluttered open ever so slightly, just enough to faintly make out the face in front of her. She was happy, as for a brief moment her sleepy eyes met with Jenna's. She was so close that she could feel the warmth radiating from her. "This must be a dream," she thought to herself. "Let me sleep a little longer."

"Sheba, wake up," Jenna called again, this time not so sweetly and with a light shake of her shoulders. This finally brought Sheba back to consciousness. She stared at Jenna in a quick daze. She gave out a quiet sigh and pulled her hands away. "You had me worried for a moment there. Come on, dinner's ready."

Sheba slowly got to her feet and looked around. The room was very dark, the only light shining in from the hallway. Jenna walked over to the doorway and waited for Sheba to follow her.

In the dinning room, the others were already seated. Felix and Kraden were sitting on one side, while Piers sat on the other. Jenna sat down next to her brother, and Sheba next to Piers. Of course, this meant that Sheba was seated directly across from her. Jenna noticed Sheba watching her out of the corner of her eye and gave her a smile. This made Sheba happy, but it also pained her. She quickly returned the smile before Jenna turned back to her brother to listen to what he was talking about.

"I imagine it won't be much longer before we're at the Jupiter Lighthouse," Piers said, reaching for his glass of water. "After that, all that's left is Mars."

"I wonder how close behind us Isaac's group is. There's a good possibility that we'll meet them there," Kraden added. The mention of that name made Sheba's heart sink. This was a person that she knew was significant to Jenna. She stirred her spoon slowly through the soup in front of her. The conversation continued for a few minutes before Jenna noticed that Sheba still hadn't eaten anything.

"Sheba? You haven't touched your food. Are you alright?"

"I think I'm still not feeling well." She stood up from her place, averting her gaze from the others. "I need some air. Please excuse me." Before anyone could stop her, Sheba made her way for the door and left the room.

On the deck of the ship, Sheba leaned over the edge, feeling like she was about to hurl. But it wasn't stomach sickness that was making her queasy. It was anxiety. Hearing the name "Isaac" made her realize just how little time she might have left to tell Jenna how she feels. She kept putting it off in hopes that maybe the feelings would go away, but to no such luck. The pressure was starting to become too much. Watching the reflection of the moonlight in the water somehow soothed Sheba, but only a little.

As though she knew she was being thought of, Jenna appeared on the deck and stared at Sheba. She was growing increasingly more concerned about the girl. Sheba slowly looked over her shoulder, briefly meeting Jenna's gaze. She looked back at the water, part of her hoping that she just imagined her.

"Sheba, what's wrong?" Jenna asked. "I know when a girl is being bothered by more than a stomach ache. In fact, you haven't really been yourself for awhile now."

Sheba knew this. Gods, did she ever know. The fact that this was on her mind so much that it was actually affecting her personality was making her crazy.

"Is it just me, then?" Sheba asked herself, her voice barely above a whisper. She carefully turned back toward Jenna. "Do you… remember that day in the Yampi Desert? When we took shelter in that cave?"

Jenna smiled to herself, letting out a soft laugh. "It's hard to forget. Not that I'm trying to, mind you."

"So, you think about it, too?"

"Of course, I do."

"That's… a relief, actually. I find it really hard not to think of that day. In fact, I think about it a lot."

Jenna was silent. Sheba wasn't sure if this was a good or bad sign. But she had to keep going. She already started her confession, so now it was time to finish.

"Jenna, I…" Sheba looked down at the floor of the deck, unable to look her in the eyes. Her voice became quiet, but not inaudible. "I really like you, Jenna. A lot. I can't stop thinking about that day. At first I couldn't figure out why, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized. So, I really like you, and I care about you so much."

The deck was silent except for the sound of the waves splashing against the hull of the ship. Sheba was expecting rejection more and more with each passing second. But finally, the silence was broken by the sound of Jenna's footsteps. To Sheba's surprise, they were drawing nearer to her. Soon, Jenna's feet were within her vision. She looked up, and their eyes met.

"J-Jenna?"

Her hands were soon clasped with Jenna's, who started to gently swing their arms back and forth. She was smiling at Sheba.

"I'm so relieved," she said, her voice quiet. "I really like you, too, Sheba. I've also thought about that day a lot."

Sheba could barely believe what she was hearing. It seemed like a dream. Maybe it was a dream. If so, she didn't want to wake up.

"You mean that, right?" she asked, her voice subdued. "You're not just joking? Because if you are, that's not funny."

Jenna let go of one of Sheba's hands and brought her fingers up to her forehead. Very lightly, she flicked her. Sheba pouted, to Jenna's amusement.

"Of course I'm not joking, silly. Why would I do such a thing? Feelings aren't meant to be played around with like that."

Sheba sighed. Her shoulders had been very tight for awhile now, so she finally felt like she could relax them. She still had a hard time looking Jenna in the eyes, so she focused on the buckle holding her cape in place.

"I had no idea that you thought so much about that day, too. I thought I was the only one. I was starting to feel like I was going to end up going crazy if I didn't say something."

"I felt the same way. I've wanted to say something, but I didn't know when it would have been a good time. I was afraid that you wouldn't feel the same. I'm relieved that you finally said something."

The two were quiet. Sheba just wanted to enjoy the moment. She felt like she was falling into a trance from the soothing sound of the waves and the constant gentle swing of their arms.

"To be honest, Sheba, I've liked you for awhile." Jenna was looking at Sheba's eyes. She thought the way she was blushing was cute. "I liked you from the moment we met in the Suhalla Desert. When we were separated in the Venus Lighthouse, I grew so worried. More than I should have been over someone I had just recently met. I was so confused at the time. It wasn't until that day in the Yampi Desert that I started to realize what my feelings were."

Sheba couldn't take it anymore. She slowly leaned in closer to Jenna and hugged her. Without hesitation, Jenna hugged her in return.

"I'm so happy that I was finally able to tell you, Jenna." Sheba felt her eyes starting to water a little, but she wouldn't let them do anything more than that. "I never thought that you would feel the same."

Jenna rested her cheek against Sheba's forehead. The two of them could hardly believe what was happening. They were silent as they held one another, carefully rocking along with the ship.

After a couple of minutes, Jenna looked down at Sheba. "We should probably go inside. It's kind of chilly out here."

Sheba gave a murmur of disapproval. "Just one more minute?"

"Now, now," Jenna replied. "You still haven't had your dinner. I'm sure you're feeling better, but you'll sleep well if you have something to eat. So, let's go inside."

Sheba gave in, taking just a few seconds more to enjoy the embrace. Finally, she let Jenna lead her back inside the ship, their hands still linked.


	3. Rain Lily

_The last part of my Shenna fic! I'm a bit more self-conscious about this one. It was hard to imagine how they'd act in these situations, since we don't really get a feel for that in the games. But I hope I did well enough! I think it's just been too long since I finished Lost Age. To those that have read, I hope you've enjoyed!_

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The once faint sound of thunder was quickly growing louder. The cannon had just been installed on the Lemurian ship after returning from Magma Rock, and the group was ready to head north to their last destination. But if the clouds on the horizon were an indication of anything, it was that the weather would soon be unfit for sailing or flying.

The ship was on land near the town of Loho, thanks to the group's newfound ability to make it fly over water and flat lands. It took a lot of energy to do so, though. There was no rest between when they finished at Magma Rock and when they returned to Loho, so everyone was exhausted. It was best if they waited out the storm and took the time to recover before continuing onward.

Sheba had been a little uneasy ever since they gained four more members in their group. They had met Isaac, Garet, Ivan, and Mia at the Jupiter Lighthouse, and were traveling with them soon after. It wasn't that she didn't like them. It was just that she was so used to it being just the five of them that to suddenly add four more people was rather abrupt.

But Sheba would be lying to herself if she said that was the only reason. Since they joined, Isaac, Garet, Jenna, and Felix had taken almost every opportunity during their traveling downtime to talk and reminisce about their times in Vale. Sheba felt excluded, but not in the same way Ivan, Mia, and Piers had. Sheba wanted to spend more time with Jenna, since it felt like the time they spent together had drastically decreased. And there was no denying it; she was jealous of Isaac. Sheba knew that Jenna had feelings for him for a long time, and she was starting to worry that since he was now back in her life, she would start to forget about her.

Everyone had been sitting inside the ship in order to keep out of the storm, all talking amongst themselves. The sudden drop in temperature made it a bit cold both outside and in. Because of this, Mia had been preparing tea for everyone in order to help them warm up. She came to Sheba and held out a cup for her.

"Please, take this. It will help fight off the chill." She smiled.

Sheba hadn't spoken much since the Jupiter Lighthouse. She would say something when she was spoken to, but not much else than that. Carefully taking the cup into her hands, she nodded to Mia.

"Thank you."

The thunder continued rumbling outside as everyone sat around talking and enjoying themselves. Of course, the Vale Four were talking amongst each other while everyone else talked about other things. Sheba downed her tea, rather than taking it slowly and enjoying it. She was irritated and had had just about enough of her unwanted jealousy. Sheba stood up and excused herself to her room, hoping that maybe some time to her self would help her take her mind off of it.

Sheba was tired, but not tired enough to fall asleep. It only made sense, since it was still sometime in the afternoon. But she wished that she could fall asleep so that she could stop thinking about her jealously. It upset her so much because she didn't understand it. Sure, she had been jealous before, but not like this. Was it because she had actually established her feelings with the person she liked?

She hadn't been alone in the room very long when the door to the bedroom opened. Sheba looked over to see who had entered. She was surprised, yet not, when she saw it was Jenna. She didn't know why she did it, but Sheba rolled to her side as to face her back to her. Jenna quietly closed the door behind her and leaned against it. The absence of Jenna's usual cheery greeting when she entered the room told Sheba that she knew something was up.

"What's wrong, Sheba?"

Of course, she had to be right.

"Nothing." Her voice was monotonous.

"Don't give me that. I can tell when something is bothering you."

"I'm serious, it's nothing."

"Then why have you been acting like this?"

Sheba bit her lower lip and eventually rolled back to her other side. She sat up on her bed and avoided looking at Jenna.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Stop it, Sheba!" Jenna's sudden change in volume and tone surprised Sheba, causing her to wince. "You've been like this ever since we left the Jupiter Lighthouse, and I know why."

Sheba was ready to deny anything Jenna said, but when she glanced at her from the corner of her eye, she could tell that it wasn't best to push Jenna any further. She stood up, turned her back to Jenna, and crossed her arms.

"Yeah, you're right, something is wrong." She didn't have a particularly pleasant tone. "I'm afraid, okay?" Her voice cracked as she said those words.

"You're afraid? What are you afraid of?"

Sheba was annoyed that Jenna even had to ask. This meant she had to explain it to her, though she was certain that Jenna was only asking for confirmation of what she already knew.

"I'm afraid that since you're reunited with Isaac, you're starting to realize how much you truly like him and are forgetting about me."

"What?" Jenna was genuinely surprised. She was not expecting to hear that last part. "Sheba, why would you say that?"

"Because," she started. Sheba bit her tongue, realizing how selfish what she was about to say sounded. "Because you haven't been paying much attention to me since they joined."

"Sheba, I've just been reminiscing with old friends. It's been a long time since the four of us have been together like this, so we're just enjoying it. That's all."

"That's all?"

"Yes, Sheba. My feelings for Isaac are a thing of the past."

Part of her was relieved to hear this, but Sheba still wasn't fully convinced. Her jealousy was truly getting the better of her, and now she simply felt embarrassed. Sheba slowly brought her arms down to her side and stared at the floor.

"Can I be alone for awhile?"

"No."

The response shocked Sheba. She turned to face Jenna. "W-why not?" She hadn't realized that Jenna was looking down and shaking slightly, her fists clenched.

"Because the girl I love is feeling upset and rejected and it's all because I wasn't paying enough attention to how she felt." She inhaled deeply and looked off at the wall. She looked as though she was holding back tears. "I'm so stupid."

Sheba was stunned by what she just heard. Had she just admitted to loving her?

"Jenna," Sheba muttered, approaching her slightly. "Do you mean that?"

"Yeah, I'm really stupid sometimes."

"No, not that." Sheba tried not to laugh. "The other thing."

"Of course I meant it, silly." Sheba had stepped closer to Jenna as she spoke. She was starting to relax. "Don't you remember? Why would I joke about something like that?"

Sheba was standing in front of Jenna now, looking her in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, I just have to ask one more time…"

"Isaac is my friend," Jenna said, looking directly back at Sheba. "The one I love is standing right before me." She paused, smiling sweetly. "I love you, Sheba."

Sheba pulled in close to Jenna, leaning against her body. As soon as she had, Jenna had wrapped her arms around her in an embrace.

"Jenna, I love you, too." She was trying so hard not to cry. "I'm sorry that I acted the way I did. I've never felt like this about anyone before. I was just so scared that I wouldn't be as important because we hadn't known each other as long."

"You silly. You have no idea how much you mean to me."

Feeling bold, Sheba pulled away from Jenna slightly and looked up at her. Without hesitation, she brought her lips to Jenna's and locked them into a kiss. They remained like that for a few moments before gently pulling back. The two smiled at one another, hardly believing what they had just done.

"I've wanted to do that for awhile now," Sheba said.

"So have I."

Jenna glanced at the window behind Sheba, noticing that the rain had become very light.

"The storm seems to have died down. Do you want to go watch the rain?"

Sheba nodded in agreement, and the two made their way up to the deck. They stood underneath a part of the roof that jutted out above the door and watched as the rain fell lighter with each passing minute. Jenna held Sheba from behind, resting her chin on top of her head. Sheba clasped onto her arms and leaned on her.

"You know, it's going to be tough," Jenna said. "Some people aren't going to like this."

"I don't think we have to worry about our friends, though. I have a feeling that they'll support us."

"You're right. But even if they did have a problem, they'd just have to deal with it! We're in this for the long run. Right?"

"Right."

The two of them smiled at one another, still holding each other.

"This won't make us immune to suitors when we both come of age though, you know." Sheba said, pouting slightly. "Any of them that try to take you away from me are gonna get zapped!"

Jenna laughed. "And any that try to take you away from me are gonna end up scorched."

The two were quiet for awhile longer, watching as the rain eventually became no more than a few sparse drops. Sheba laughed to herself as she remembered something.

"You're not going to believe this, but before I admitted my feelings to you, I actually asked Kraden for advice."

Jenna was silent. Sheba was wondering if she had heard her at all, but then she felt Jenna burry her face in Sheba's hair. She was trying to stifle her laughter.

"I'm trying to picture this, and I just can't. You poor thing! That must have been so awkward for you."

"It was! Especially when he started telling me about how he used to be pretty popular with the ladies when he was younger and that he had experiences in love."

They both started laughing, having a difficult time imagining Kraden as anything other than a scholarly old man.

When the rain had finally finished, they decided to go back inside, holding each other's hand. As they walked through the hall toward their bedroom, they bumped into Mia. She greeted them politely, but then noticed their linked hands. She gasped, realizing that the two were doing so because they were an item.

"So, he was telling the truth?" she asked. Sheba and Jenna were definitely confused, but they were also relieved. Guessing by Mia's tone, it didn't seem like she had a problem with their relationship.

"What are you talking about?" Jenna asked.

"Well, after Jenna left room earlier to check on Sheba, Kraden mentioned how tough it must be to be in young love. When we asked him what he meant, he said he was talking about the tension between the two of you."

"W-what?" Jenna laughed.

"I never told him who I liked!" Sheba replied, starting to pout.

"Oh goodness, I'm just glad that the two of you worked out whatever was going on!" Mia giggled.

"That old man just can't keep his mouth shut."

"Was anyone else listening to him?"

"Just Piers, Ivan, and myself. The other three were still off in their own little world."

"And…?" Jenna and Sheba were both a little afraid to admit that part of them cared what their friend thought, even though they wouldn't let it affect their relationship.

It took Mia a moment to realize what they were referring to. "Oh, none of us thought it was strange. In fact, we all were hoping that the two of you would work things out."

Jenna and Sheba were relieved. It was reassuring to know that their friends supported them. After their encounter with Mia in the hall, the two of them made their way back to their room. Since the storm had passed, it was likely that they would be setting out again soon. Everyone would have to assemble on the deck to use their Psynergy to make the ship fly. But before that, Jenna and Sheba wanted to enjoy some time with one another.

Jenna sat Sheba down at a desk in the corner of the room. She pulled a brush out of her things nearby and started to brush her hair. Sheba didn't think that she needed it, but the sensation was soothing. She felt as though she would be lulled into a wonderful sleep.

"Jenna?" she murmured.

"Hmm?"

"I used to be upset over what happened in the Suhalla Desert. I was so happy to have finally been returning home after being released. But before I could even get back, I was captured again by those two."

Jenna remembered. She objected to Saturos and Menardi taking Sheba hostage, but they told her that the only other option was to leave her for dead. Of course she didn't want that to happen.

"But now, I'm really glad that happened. If it hadn't, I probably never would have met you or anyone else. Sometimes I wonder why bad things happen, but I've realized that there are times when we have to go through something bad in order to experience something great. It's something that we never would have experienced if we didn't go through that bad thing."

This made Jenna think back to the incident at Vale a few years ago. If it had not been for that incident, she would probably never be in this situation now. Leaning down, Jenna hugged Sheba from behind.

"I know what you mean. We would have never met, otherwise."

Sheba held onto Jenna's arms. They were quiet for a moment before there was a knock at the door. They both looked over as soon as they heard it.

"It's almost time to go. Are the two of you ready?" Felix asked from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, we'll be up in a moment," Jenna replied. She looked to Sheba, who had already turned to her. "Are you ready to go?"

Sheba nodded, smiling gently at Jenna. The two of them left the room once again and made their way to the deck to rejoin with their friends.


End file.
